The Moonbone court was a chilling spectacle of bone and shadow. The grand hall of Yuegu Zong was carved from a single, colossal ribcage, its vaulted ceiling arching like a petrified sky. Hundreds of cultivators, clad in their stark white and black robes, filled the space, their faces a mixture of solemnity and anticipation. Empress Nie Yuelian, a figure of profound, almost ethereal grief, sat upon a throne of intertwined femurs, her eyes fixed on Niánmei. The air thrummed with a heavy, ritualistic qi, preparing for the declaration of the wedding ceremony.
Jianyu, outwardly Niánmei, stood at the center of the hall, a serene, almost beatific smile on his lips. The control rune, now a fine, blooming scar on his abdomen, no longer pulsed with its insidious leash. He felt lighter, freer, yet the familiar hum of the System was still there, a constant companion. He had absorbed enough. He had learned enough. Now, it was time to act.
The Moonbone elders began their final pronouncements, their voices echoing through the bone-carved hall. They spoke of prophecy, of the Moonlotus Saint's return, of the sacred union that would bind the empress to her reborn consort. Yuelian's gaze never left Niánmei, a possessive adoration that made Jianyu's skin crawl.
Then, a sudden, internal shift. The System flared, not with a whisper, but with a resonant thrum that vibrated through his very bones.
System Integration: SUCCESSIdentity: Multiplexed → Dual AutonomyNew Function Unlocked: Parallel ExistenceNote: Two forms. One will. Unleash.
A ripple of qi, cold and sharp, emanated from Niánmei. It was not the qi of a single cultivator, but a doubled presence. A gasp went through the court. From behind Niánmei, seemingly from thin air, a figure coalesced. It was Xu Jianyu, his male form, clad in the simple, dark robes he had crafted, his face a stoic, watchful mask. He was no longer a mere illusion, but a distinct, autonomous entity, albeit one drawing directly from Niánmei's core.
The court erupted in murmurs. Two forms. A male spirit-guardian, perfectly synchronized with the saintly female form. It was unheard of, a heresy to some, a divine transcendence to others.
Yuelian, however, merely smiled, a beatific, almost mad joy on her face. "My consort's power is truly boundless!" she declared, her voice ringing through the hall. "She has manifested her divine protector! A testament to our sacred union!" She saw only what she wished to see.
A Moonbone general, a hulking woman with a face like carved granite, stepped forward, her qi flaring. "Empress, a demonstration! Let us see the prowess of our Saint and her Guardian!"
Jianyu, as Niánmei, nodded gracefully. The male Jianyu moved, a silent shadow. They moved as one, yet as two. Niánmei's delicate hand lashed out, a whip of spiritual silk, while Jianyu's fist, solid and precise, struck with bone-shattering force. They fought a phantom opponent, their movements a terrifying, beautiful dance of synchronized destruction. Niánmei's qi flowed like water, Jianyu's like tempered steel. They were two sides of the same coin, two blades from the same forge, moving with perfect, terrifying synchronicity.
The audience was stunned into silence, then exploded into cheers. Never had such a display been seen.
Yuelian rose from her throne, her voice echoing with triumph. "The wedding ceremony will proceed in seven days! The Moonlotus Saint has returned, and with her, the dawn of a new age for Yuegu Zong!"
Jianyu, as Niánmei, bowed deeply, the serene smile unwavering. The male Jianyu stood motionless behind him, a silent, watchful sentinel. Outwardly, he was compliant, accepting his fate. But deep inside, a cold, unyielding resolve hardened. He had unleashed a fraction of his true power, a glimpse of the terrifying duality he now possessed. The wedding would proceed, yes. But it would be the beginning of the end for them all. He would destroy this sect, and every other, that had sought to control him. He would plot the agonizing demise of everyone who had a hand in creating him, in binding him, in claiming him. The smiles on their faces would soon be replaced by screams.